The Plural Progressive

This is every bit a real ‘Gem.’ Deep amber brown in colour, ‘Bath Ales: Gem’ is an earthy beer with plenty of bitter-sweet flavours. Not very fruity, this one has alot of lean malt flavours with plenty to chew. Full-textured in the mouth, ‘Gem’ is pretty sweet in terms of caramel malts and brown sugar water, blended with thick honey, raisins and light orangey citrusness. It is well-mixed and pleasant, but lacks a better harmony and complexity.

The bitter-sweet malty flavour resembling red date and fruit tea with a dash of honey comes forward, following onto a moderately bitter middle taste of mixed toasted dark-fruits, citric sourness and earthy hops laced with an assertive black tea undertone in the finish.

It is an exceptional best bitter. I look forward to tasting alot more from the ‘Bath Ales’ team.

Available from Sainsbury’s for £1.90.

Amber-gold in colour, this one is packed with delicate flavours. At 7.8% it is high alcohol but it’s easy on the ‘thug’ most high-alcohol beers are known for. It is heather honey infused, with intricate malts rolling over the palette in an attempt to impress. It is a beer with alot of effort put into it.

Upon first smell it’s not overpowering, with just  a hint of sugary sweetness that fails to pass over upon the taste, which is a good thing as there are so many other clean and refreshing flavours at work. Being a thick beer, and many ‘Brew Dog’ beers are thick, it is easily quaffable as a result of those leafy and natural malts and ingredients.

The philosophy behind the ‘Brew Dog’ brand is pure arrogance, a clever marketing gimmic that makes this ‘punk’ style stand out from the other ‘traditional’ real ales. As a brand, it ultimately relies on young drinkers taking a risk with the intriguing beer styles, and particularly towards new real ale drinkers taking a chance with ‘Thrashy Blonde’, ‘Hardcore IPA’ and ‘Chaos Theory’ to name but a few, however the team behind ‘Brew Dog’ are deadly serious about making honest booze, with imaginative twists, being innovative in taking beer forward to a whole new level, one that young beer lovers have been looking for. ‘Brew Dog’ is nothing short of being progressive.

Available from Sainsbury’s for £1.50, (3 for £4).

“A modern twist on a traditional beer” goes the tagline, and it’s a sentiment I agree wholeheartedly with. This is quite simply one of the best beers I’ve ever tried. Made by the ‘likely lad’ combo of Neil Morrissey and Richard Fox out of their own microbrewery in Grafton, North Yorkshire, this little number is low alcohol (4%), so bucking the recent trend in real ales for high alcohol, aggressive beers. On the nose it is ripe with a distinctive, fruity hoppyness, that offers a first glimpse to this BBQ-friendly beer. It is a wonderfully nutty, caramelised beer with a gentle floral note that cuts through the toffee sweetness. An instant classic, it is a beer for the seasons, be it a warm September evening, a cold September evening, or with the finest plate of food you can conjure. Well worth a little try.

Available from Sainsbury’s for £1.90, along with the equally enjoyable ‘Morrissey Fox Blonde’ pale ale.